15 Major Landmarks Then and Now

October 24, 2014

By Angie Finlay

1. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

Built in 1889, the Eiffel Tower remains the most well-known tourist destination in Paris, France.

2. Niagara Falls, Canada and United States

Okay so not necessarily under construction but, on March 29, 1848 the flow of water was stopped over both American and Canadian falls due to an ice jam in the upper river. People could walk out on the cliff above the falls for that short period of time!

3. Statue of Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Built in 1922, this statue continues to watch over Rio de Janeiro.

4. Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

These twin towers took 7 years to complete from 1992-1999.

5. Colosseum, Rome, Italy

So maybe this one wasn't under construction either. But it's neat to see how the Colosseum looks different now than hundreds of years ago! The image to the left is an etching done in 1737 by artist Giovanni Battista. How the times change!

6. Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The world's tallest building to date, it was completed in 2004.

7. Statue of Liberty, New York City, USA

An iconic man-made landmark, the Statue of Liberty has stood since 1886.

8. Big Ben, London, England

The 1800s was the century for landmark construction! Big Ben, originally known as the Elizabeth Tower, was built in 1859.

9. Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany

The Brandenburg Gate was being constructed from 1788-1791. It saw some major damage during World War II. Soldiers can be seen here rallying around the gate in 1945.

10. Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, United States

The famous carving took years to complete, under construction from 1927 to 1941.

11. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California

The massive bridge looks a lot different in the 1930s than today! It took four years to build, from 1933-1937.

12. Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia

The Sydney Opera House was built in three stages from 1959-1973.

13. Empire State Building, New York City, United States

The iconic building can be seen only half completed here in 1929.

14. CN Tower, Toronto, Canada

For a while, the CN Tower held the title of world's tallest building until 2007. It was constructed in 1976.

15. Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles, California

Few can picture LA without its famed Hollywood sign. However, before 1923 this was just another rolling hill in the state!